Detachable life-boat for submarine vessels.



A. I. MRRISON, ln. DETACHABLE LIFE BOAT FOR SUBMARINE VESSELS. APPLICATION FILED MAY I. I9I5.

Patented May 30, 1916.

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ANDREW JOSEPH MORRISON, JR., OF LSUARD, ENGLAND.

DETCHABLE JEJEJE-BOAT FOR SUB-MARINE VESSELS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3U, 1916..

application filed May 1, 1915. Serial No. 25,312.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ll, ANDREW JOSEPH MonnrsoN, Jr., subject of the vKing of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 43 Mill Lane, Liscard, in the county of Cheshire,

llEngland, engineer, have invented certain accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 1s a cross section showing my improved submarine and life boat secured in its bed arranged in the deck of a submarine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of and Fig. 3 is a plan of same and'Figs. 4 to 8 are details.

Referring to Figs. 1' to 3, 1 is th`e body of the submarine life boat of substantially similar shape to that of an ordinary sub-l marine vessel and provided with a longitudinal flange 2 arranged from end to end on both sides of the submarine life boat. This flange beds upon a similarly shaped bed 3 in the deck of the submarine boat and is arranged in such a position that the submarine life boat is recessed into the'deck of the submarine vessel to an extent of about half its diameter. rllhe bed 3 is provided with a ridge 4 which engages in a groove 5 in the flange 2 so as to form a water-tight jointtherewith andin order to further prevent any leakage into the space between the submarine life boat and the bed in which it rests, lll-shaped' leather packing 6 is provided `in grooves 7 and arranged to bear against the body of the life boat so that any leakage past the Harige 2 will expand the packing 6 and insure a water-tight Joint. ln the base of the life boat 1` is provided the ring or flange 8 which is bedded upon a similar flange or ring 9 which forms the upper portion or roofof a water-tight compartment 10 in the submarine. Thls watertight compartment 1() is provided vwith an aperture 11 communicating with the submarine and adapted to be closed by the water-tight door 12 and a ladder 13 in the compartment 10 leads to an aperture or man-hole 14 in the base of the life boat throughV which the same may be entered from the water-tight compartment 10. This manhole 14 is adapted to be closed by a watertight door 0r man-hole cover l5 after the crew have all entered the life boat.

rllhe life boat is securely held in position and retained upon its bed in the submarine by means of a screw 16 engaging in nuts 17 and 18 .in the base of the life boat and its bed in the deck of the submarine, respectively. 'llhis screw 16 is provided at its upper end with a series of arms or spokes 19 by means of which it may be rotated by a number of men pressing or pulling on each of the arms for the purpose of screwing same out of the nut 18 and so releasing the means which held the life boat in its bed in the deck of the submarine.

In the case of an accident to the submarine, or if it is found impossible to rise to the surface, the crew will enter the water- `tight compartment 10 and secure the door 12 over the aperture 1l and will then prof ceed to enter the life boat 1 through the man-hole 14, and when all are assembled therein the cover 15 will be securedin place. A suilicient number of men will then, man the spokes 19 to rotate the screw 16 about its axis, unscrewin same from the nut 18 and thereby releasing the holding means which retain the life boat in its bed in the deck of the submarine. The pressure of the waterhowever acting upon the upper exposed surface of the life boat will still retain the same in its bed in the deck of the submarine, and in order to enable same to be gently released therefrom, means are prbvided for flooding the water-tight compartment 10 and thus equalizing the pressure upon all sides of' the life boat, when it will gently vfloat out of its bed and rise to the surface of the water through its own buoyancy. In order to ilood the water-tight compartment 10, pipes 20 controlled by valves 21 lead from this compartment to the deck of the submarine where their orifice is covered and protected by cages 22 which prevent the ingress of refuse or other matter which might obstruct the v passage. The valves 21 are arranged to be operated from within the submarine life boat by means of a hand wheel 23 on a spindle 24 mounted in a 4bracket 25' with the spindle 24 4is afurther socket 29 similar tothat at 27 adapted to receive the squared `endof the spindle 30, mounted to rotate about its axis in the roof of the water- -tight compartment 10 (see Fig. 6). This spindle carries at its other end a bevel wheel 31 which gears with a similar wheel 32 and a spindle 33 mounted horizontally in suitable bearings 34 and connected at each end to one of the valves 21 which may thus be simultaneously operated thereby.

In Fig. 7 is shown in detail the screw device for retaining the submarine life boat in position. The screw 16 is provided with the spokes 19 on its upper end and by means of which it may be rotated to engage or disengage it with the nut 18 in the roofl of the water-tight compartment 10. The screw 16 is journaled in the bracket 35 and engages in a nut 17 in the shelll so that on rotation to withdraw it from the nut 18, it will also be screwed up in the nut 17 and still retain a water-tight joint. In order to insure this joint being tight after the screw 16 is released from the nut 18 a collar 36 is provided ata Suitable distance from its upper end which may be broughty i to bear against the underside of the bracket 35 so as to press thethreads of the screw 16 and `the nut 17 into close engagement with one another. In Fig. 8 is shown the supplementary packing employed for insuring 'a Water-tlght joint between the periphery of the submarine life boat and its bed in thevdeck of the submarine itself. For this purpose ka U-.sectioned "packing strip 6 of'leathe'r or other suitable material is retained in a groove 7 around the hollow bed in which the life boat rests. This groove 7 'is open on the side toward the life boat and the packing strip 6 projects .there-through and engages against the side thereof. Should any leakage occur past the anges 2 and 3, the pressure exerted thereby will expand the packing strip 6 against the side of the life boat, thus preventing any access to the underside thereof.

. v What I claim as my invention and desire j life'- boat adapted to make a water'.- tight joint with the upper face 'of the recessed bed so that half the volume of the life-boat lies in the recessed bed and. half projects above, and means situated in the submarine foradmitting water tothe. space 'between of the life boat 1 the bed and the underside of the life-boat and adapted to be operated from within the life-boat. v

2. In a detachable life-boat for submarines, a closed `vessel forming the life-boat, a recessed bed in the deck of the submarine, a horizontal flange around the 'middle of the life-boat adapted to make a water-tight joint with the upper face of the recessed b ed so that half the volu'me of the life-boat lies in the recessed bed and half projects above, means situated within the submarine for finally releasing the life-boat from its bed after the locln'ng means have been re'- leased comprising pipes or conduits leading from the exterior of the submarine to the water-tight compartment, valves controlling the said pipes or conduits, andmeans for operating said valves from within the life boat to enable the valves t be simultaneously opened for the purpose of flooding. the water-tight compartment and the space beneath the life boat, thus equalizing the pressure both above and below the life-boat and enabling same to float gently out of its bed and rise to the 'surface of the water 'under the influence of its own buoyancy.

3. In a detachable life-boat f or submarines, a closed vessel forming the life-boat, a recessed bed in the deck of the submarine, a horizontal flange around the middle ofthe life-boat adapted to make a water -tight joint with the upper face of the recessed bed so that half the volume of the life-boat lies in the recessed bed and half projects above, a water-tight compartment in the submarine, means for communicating from this water-tight compartment with the interior of the life-boat, means for closing such communication when desired to launch the life-boat from the deck` of the submarine when submerged, means for locking the lifeboat in its bed in the deck of the submarine comprising a vertical screw mounted in bearings in Aa bracket on the underside of the life-boat and engaging in a nut therein,

' a second nut secured in the bed in the submarine in which the life boat rests, means situated in the submarine for finally releasing the life boat from its bed after the locking means have been released comprising pipes or conduits leading from the exterior of the submarine to the watertight compartment, valves controlling the said pipes or conduits, a shaft connectin -said valves, a vertical shaft journaled in t e submarine bed and engaging at its up er end in a ball mounted in the shell of t e life boat and adapted to berotated by aywheel mounted in a bracket thereon, gearing between the two shafts so that the .two valves may be simultaneously opened to iood the watertight compartment and the lspace beneath incensi the life boat, thus-equalizing the pressure above and below same and enabling same to oatv gently out of its bed and rise to the surface of the water under the influence of its own buoyancy.

4. ln a detachable life boat for submarines a closed vessel forming the life boat, a bed' in the outer surface of the submarine, a flange around the longitudinal periphery of thelife boat adapted to engage and make a water-joint with the bed upon the deck of the submarine which is' suitably shaped to accommodate the lower half of the life boat,y

a water-tight compartment in the submarine, means for communicatingl :trom this water-tight compartment with the interior of the life boat, and means for closing such communication when desired to launch the life boat from the deck `of the submarine when submerged and supplementary means for retaining the water-tight joint between the periphery of the life boat and its bed in y the deck of the submarine comprising a U- shaped strip in a groove in the bed arranged so that any leakage will' expand the U- shaped strip against the side of the' life boat, thus forming a supplementary joint.

5. ln a detachable life boat for submarines a closed vessel forming the life boat, a

bed in the outer surface of the submarine7 a Y flange around the longitudinal periphery of the life boat adapted to engage and make a water-tight joint with the bed upon the deck of the submarine which is suitably shaped to accommodate the lower half 'of the life boat, a water-tight compartment in the submarine;` means for communicating from this water-tight compartment with the interior of the life boat and means for closing such communication when desired to launch the life boat from the deck ci the submarine when submerged, means for locking` the life boat in its bed in the deck of the submarine comprising a vertical screw mounted in bearings in the underside of the life boat ,and engaging in a nut therein,

spokes or other means for rotating the said for the purpose ofooding the water-tight.

compartment and the space beneath the life boat, thus equalizing the pressure both above and below the life boat and enabling same to oat gentlyout of its bed and rise to the surface of the water under the'inuence of its own buoyancy and supplementary means for retaining the water-tight joint between the periphery of the life boat and its bed. in the deck ot the submarine comprising a U- shaped strip in a groove in the bed arranged so that any leakage will expand the llshaped strip against the side of the life boat, thus forming a supplementary joint..

ln witness whereof ll have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

i ANDREW JOSEPH MRRISN, JUNE Witnesses: H. Ms,v

lE. WHLIAMS.. 

